Method and apparatus for counting and packing solid foods

ABSTRACT

Regarding the counting and packing process combining a vacuum nozzle and an adsorption confirmation sensor together, a method and apparatus for counting and packing the solid foods having characteristics of uncertainly shaped, with irregular surface, with wet surface, being adhesive, soft, and easy to be broken, without requiring pre-positioning and sort transportation of the solid foods, and enabling to speedily and precisely count and pack predetermined numbers of the solid foods within a settled time interval are proposed.  
     An apparatus for counting and packing solid foods characterized that comprising the followings: a table means  4  for placing the solid foods  1  which should be counted and packed, plural of the vacuum nozzle  14  that is more than predetermined packing number of solid foods, a flexible vacuum pad, an adsorption confirmation sensor, an arm holding these vacuum nozzles, being displaceable in horizontally right and left direction and in vertically up and down direction, and for adsorbing and conveying the solid foods from the table means to a packing means, and a vacuum breaking channel for dissociating adsorption by compressed air is disclosed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention concerns with a method and apparatus for counting and packing solid foods having characteristics of uncertainly shaped, with irregular surface, with wet surface, being adhesive, soft, and easy to be broken.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In the field of production engineering for processed food, instrumentation and unmanned operation of the process is still undeveloped. As a reason of the undevelopment, the difficulty of handling quantitatively a small amount of solid foods with uncertain shape, soft and occasionally wet is identified.

[0003] Measuring, counting and packing etc. are the representative example, and are problems quite frequently appear in new product development and products revision stage of frozen foods. Particularly in late years, the trend of increasing the configuration of highly processed, simple and easy cooking products induces the necessity of using various seafoods and cooking vegetables as ingredients.

[0004] However, because most of the ingredients are flexible and with uncertain shape, they are easy to be injured by mechanical processing, and moreover, they become viscous and stick to the machine, making it difficult to convey or to precisely hold them by the machine.

[0005] Therefore, there are many cases that cannot but depend on human's hand operation finally, and it becomes a main factor of high manufacturing cost. According to the prior art, it is general to separate predetermined number of objects, line up in order, and pack the objects from among the abundantly supplied solid objects, not limited to foods, with transportation process by the device including vibrating feeders and/or a belt conveyor and a guide, and to detect the passing number with photo sensor or pictorial image sensor. This technology is employed widely in the fields of such as counting electron parts, industrial parts, tablets, or pellets.

[0006] The technology is typically used in the foods industry as the counting and packing process for confectioneries such as nuts or dried fruits in particular, and dried eggs, dried meat, or dried Kamabokoes that are attached to instant noodles as “Kayaku”. Here, the Kamaboko is the fish paste that is pasted on to a Japanese cedar before steaming, and the cedar plate is separated before cooking.

[0007] However, in the case where the solid foods that sizes and shapes are not uniform, many problems occur frequently such that the solid foods are conveyed in the state of piling up without separated one by one, and that an intermittent state by blockade happens. In addition, the above mentioned technology controls attenuation of oscillation and regulate by conveying little by little when the counted number approaches the predetermined value in order to keep the packed number precisely, however, there is a problem that it is unsuitable especially for packing of few pieces of the objects and that a fluctuation of packing time occurs.

[0008] Furthermore, when the solid foods are wet and viscous, individual of feeder or the solid foods sticks each other, and any stable transportation cannot be expected. Various kinds of breakthrough are proposed in order to solve these problems.

[0009] For example, JPA53-51874 discloses an invention in which the solid foods are separated one by one with an adsorption pad provided for a rotating drum, after being released by jet air, they are counted in a chute section, and when the quantity reaches instruction value, a shutter opens. JPA09-12143 discloses an invention in which the solid foods are similarly separated one by one with an adsorption aperture provided for a rotating drum, peeled apart and aspirated by a jet air nozzle or an suction nozzle installed facing inside and out to the drum, and they are counted and when the quantity reaches instruction value, the jet air is stopped.

[0010] In addition, Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model No. 07-23739 discloses an idea in which the solid foods are similarly separated one by one with the adsorption aperture provided for the rotating drum, peeled apart at the time when they reach to an air shield board installed inside and outside of the drum, and are counted by a photo sensor.

[0011] These ideas are effective for separately counting and packing one by one the solid foods of uncertain shapes being conveyed at random. However, because it is required for the solid foods to touch the adsorption aperture of the rotating drum in a predetermined home position, it is necessary to add the operation of such as dropping the solid foods from upside of the rotating drum, or vibrating intensely on a lower table.

[0012] Recycle transportation is necessary, and said ideas are unsuitable for the solid foods such as plastic and easily crumbling, or generating powders, and for the solid foods like frozen products that easily break or crack. In addition, the solid foods may not be adsorbed every time regularly by each adsorption aperture provided for the drum, and because the procedure count up from zero to the instruction value, the time required until the predetermined numbers of the solid foods are finally packed will fluctuate.

[0013] Therefore, when the next process works with predetermined time interval, there is the case where the timing with said process is not synchronized. On the other hand, there is a method for adsorbing, counting and conveying objects by an arm comprised one or plural of vacuum adsorption aperture as a method for similarly counting, moving, and packing said objects. This method is a conventional technology that has been mainly used for gripping, transferring, and counting such parts with fixed form precisely positioned in the timing of being adsorbed as IC tips, wafers, or boards.

[0014] In the technology, the counting is executed by detecting actuation frequency crossing the working space by the arm, and calculate counting value on the premise that holding of the object by the vacuum adsorption aperture attached to the arm is complete. This technology is superior as the method for counting and packing or fixing an easily breaking object in the proper place within a designated time, however, it is limited to the case where the objects are dried and have fixed forms and where the holding of the object by the vacuum adsorption aperture is precise.

[0015] Therefore, in the case where the objects are solid foods with uncertain shape of which the vacuum absorption state is not stable and preparatory segregation positioning is difficult, the method is not applicable without any improvement because the possibility of an adsorption mistake is very high.

[0016] Regarding the above-mentioned procedure, for the purpose of surely counting and packing the objects, there are some improvements using sensors. JPA60-54499 discloses the invention repeating the packing operation until the counting number reaches to the predetermined value while detecting whether a tip is safely adsorbed or not, referring the tip number directly by installing a pressure sensor in a negative pressure path. JPA07-169819 discloses an invention retrying the vacuum adsorption operation until the counting number reaches to the predetermined value in the case where the holding of a wafer is not appropriate, while detecting the vacuum pressure whether the state of adsorbing the wafer is safe or not.

[0017] However, although these inventions are applied, the time required until the predetermined numbers of the objects are finally packed would fluctuate if an adsorption mistake happened. Meanwhile, a technology enabling to synchronize with the next process operating with a settled time interval is disclosed in JPA5-229514.

[0018] This invention proposes that by detecting the weight of a conveyer bucket in measuring station after a transfer of fruit pulp pieces such as mandarin orange, a pine, and Megalobatrachus japonicas peach to the conveyer bucket by plural of vacuum nozzles, identifying the conveyer bucket of vacancy or of the weight equal to an instruction number or more, and correcting feed is executed to the vacant conveyer bucket from a following replenishment line, thereby making the instruction number being finally achieved to a container, etc. This invention is also effective in the case where it is not necessary to providently position the object, and where the object is soft, and having moisture and adhesive surface, however, because the counted value is calculated by weight differentiation processing, precise counting and packing of predetermined number becomes difficult in the cases where there are large weight variation in the objects and where several kinds of the foods are necessary to be filled in one container. In addition, the invention needs large line constitution, and only the transfer machine unit is unable to count and pack the objects.

[0019] As described above, when treating solid foods having characteristics of uncertainly shaped, with irregular surface, with wet surface, being adhesive, soft, and easy to be broken using conventional counting and packing apparatus, pre-positioning and sort transportation of the objects were necessary, It was difficult to precisely count and pack several predetermined numbers of the object in one cycle within a time interval settled for the purpose of synchronization with the next process. There was the problem such that requires large line constitution.

[0020] The present invention provides solution for above mentioned weak points, to be concrete, regarding the counting and packing apparatus combining a vacuum nozzle and an adsorption confirmation sensor together, it is a purpose to provide a method and apparatus for counting and packing the solid foods having characteristics of uncertainly shaped, with irregular surface, with wet surface, being adhesive, soft, and easy to be broken, without requiring pre-positioning and sort transportation of the solid foods, and enabling to speedily and precisely count and pack predetermined numbers of the solid foods within a settled time interval.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0021] In order to achieve the above described purpose, regarding the method for counting, transferring, and packing the solid foods one by one adsorbing with a vacuum nozzle, the present invention provides a method for counting and packing solid foods characterized that including the followings: on the assumption that N is a predetermined packing number of solid foods, N and α are the integers equal to or more than 1, arranging N+α pieces of the vacuum nozzle that is more than the predetermined packing number of solid foods, optionally counting and selecting plural numbers of the vacuum nozzles corresponding to the predetermined packing number N from among the vacuum nozzles that adsorption holding was ensured by output signal from the adsorption confirmation sensor, and after having conveyed the solid foods to a predetermined packing location, the predetermined packing number N of the solid foods are precisely counted and packed within 1 cycle by breaking vacuum of the selected vacuum nozzle.

[0022] Moreover, regarding the apparatus including means for counting, transferring, and packing the solid foods one by one adsorbing with a vacuum nozzle, the present invention provides an apparatus for counting and packing solid foods characterized that comprising the followings: a table means for placing the solid foods which should be counted and packed, on the assumption that N is a predetermined packing number of solid foods, N and α are the integers equal to or more than 1, N+α pieces of the vacuum nozzle that is more than predetermined packing number of solid foods, and including a flexible vacuum pad and an adsorption confirmation sensor, an arm holding these vacuum nozzles, being displaceable in horizontally right and left direction and in vertically up and down direction, and for adsorbing and conveying the solid foods from the table means to a packing means, a vacuum-breaking channel for dissociating adsorption by compressed air, optionally counting and selecting numerical vacuum nozzle N pieces corresponding to predetermined packing number N from among the nozzles that adsorption holding was ensured by output signal from adsorption confirmation sensor, and a control instrument and control sequence for breaking vacuum of the selected vacuum nozzle only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONOF THE DRAWINGS

[0023]FIG. 1 shows flow chart of one embodiment of the invention.

[0024]FIG. 2 is explanatory drawing from top of the whole device that shows one embodiment of the invention.

[0025]FIG. 3 is explanatory drawing from one side of the whole device that shows one embodiment of the invention.

[0026]FIG. 4 is explanatory drawing of conception of the vacuum nozzle that shows one embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] In the above described structure of the apparatus, N+α, the number of the vacuum nozzle, are more than N, the predetermined packing number of solid foods.

[0028] In other words, because the vacuum nozzles are provided keeping margins in number, even in the case of adsorption loss occurs in some of vacuum nozzles, the condition is selected so that the frequency of the number of the nozzles adsorbing solid foods as a whole replenishing the adsorption loss is equal to or more than the predetermined packing number N, becomes high.

[0029] In this invention, as more desirable condition, in order to make packing accuracy high it is preferable that the margin might be at least a integer equal to or more than 1.5 times N, that is, α=0.5N. In addition, by adding a rotation mechanism or a oscillation mechanism to the table means for placing the solid foods which should be counted and packed, and by making upper surface of the solid foods that are piled up smoother, it is desirable to place the solid foods at the leading end of the vacuum nozzles moving down at the settled position.

[0030] Moreover, regarding the object that tends to stick each other in thaw state depending on the shape like a separated frozen sheath of green pieces, it is preferable to provide a freezing mechanism such as a brine cooling jacket or a cold air blast to the table means for the purpose of maintaining the frozen state for a long time. The freezing mechanism enables to prevent thawing and to reduce adsorption loss.

[0031] Moreover, as for the vacuum pads attached to the leading end of the vacuum nozzles, their calibers, shapes or so might be changed appropriately depending on the size and surface characteristic of the objects because it becomes impossible to precisely count the objects in the case where plural of the solid foods were adsorbed to one adsorption nozzle.

[0032] Furthermore, the adsorption confirmation sensor might be appropriate if it can detect adsorption state of each nozzle individually, for example, pressure sensor, pictorial image sensor, optical sensor, photo sensor, limit switch, etc. are applicable, in particular, pressure sensor is desirable in confirmation of adsorption.

[0033] In this invention, at first, an arm having N+α pieces of the vacuum nozzle that is more than predetermined packing number N of the ingredients that should be counted and packed, is fallen down on the solid foods randomly scattered while the nozzles are vacuum suctioned, and the nozzles adsorb ingredients. After the arm lifted up, confirming that each nozzle adsorbed the object by the pressure sensor, the nozzle is recognized as adsorbing the solid foods and the system takes in as data. Then, optionally count and select the same number of nozzles as the predetermined packing number N among them, and after the arm moved to the appointed position for packing, only the selected nozzles are shifted to the compressed air channel by a solenoid valve and are broken their vacuum state.

[0034] By this serial action, solid foods of predetermined number N pieces are counted and packed in a container, belt conveyor, or so within 1 cycle. These process and repetition of the process might be executed intermittently and automatically. In addition, arbitrary appropriate system, for example, the system combining detection by pressure sensor and control by personal computer together or the control system using sequencer preparing input actuation, termination, actuation order, actuation direction, actuation interval of each parts, might be adopted for the operation and the control of the process.

[0035] Further, there is not any special limitation in the material of each parts employing in the apparatus of this invention, and every materials employed generally in the food production machines can be adopted. Moreover, there is not any restriction in particular to the kind of the solid foods as the objects for counting and packing, and broadly all kinds of solid foods can be counted and packed by the apparatus of this invention.

[0036] To be concrete, every food ingredients such as a boiled lobster, boiled cuttlefish, boiled meats, precut salad, fruit pulp and a separated frozen sheath of green pieces can be counted and packed by the apparatus of this invention. Moreover, there is not any particular restriction in the range of counting, and adjusting or settling the related parts number and control of such as the vacuum nozzles or the sensors appropriately might expect wide range of counting.

[0037] The change of the predetermined packing number would be easily and rapidly settled by mere data change of counting value on the condition that some margins in the number of the nozzles were prepared beforehand. Moreover, because there is no needs for moving solid foods themselves widely for the purpose of their adsorption, and no needs for conveying themselves for recycling, the counting and packing of the objects such as fragile and easily broken, generating powders, or the objects like frozen materials that easily break or crack, become possible without damaging them.

[0038] Consequently, regarding the counting and packing operation of the solid foods whose adsorption to each nozzle depends to their uncertain shape, sticking problem, and poor preparatory segregation positioning, a precise counting and packing control within 1 cycle and the synchronization with the next process that were conventionally difficult become possible.

EXAMPLES

[0039] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1 shows flow chart of one embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 2-4 show respectively explanatory drawings of conception of top, one side, and the vacuum nozzle part of the whole apparatus, which is an apparatus for automatically counting and packing each three separated frozen sheathes of green pieces into the belt conveyor intermittently operating synchronizing with operation of a pouch packing machine.

[0040] Separated frozen sheath of green pieces 1 as solid foods is supplied from hopper 2 including electromagnetic vibration machines 3 at any time to table means 4. Table means 4, including a rotation mechanism or a vibration mechanism, ensures that frozen sheath of green piece 1 being under the leading ends of six vacuum nozzles 14 falling down in home position.

[0041] In addition, when frozen sheathes of green pieces 1 are defrosted, they cause to stick each other by the influence of their moisture, and the segregation of them becomes difficult. Therefore, for the purpose of maintaining the frozen state for a long time, the mechanism for the maintenance of the stable ingredients supplying state providing a freezing mechanism such as brine cooling jacket 5 or a cold air blast to table means 4. Six vacuum nozzles 14 are fixed to adsorption head part 13 with equal distance, and actuate in up and down direction driven by air cylinder 11. Pressure sensor 12 for use in confirming the adsorption, flexible negative pressure channel 9, and solenoid valve 8 for use in channel switching in the time of vacuum breaking are installed above each vacuum nozzle, and they are connected to vacuum pump 16 through header 7.

[0042] Spring 14-a is built in to vacuum nozzle 14, and bellows-shaped adsorption pad 14-b is attached to the leading end of it, ensuring that adsorption pad 14-b fits and surely adsorbs the surface of solid foods of uncertain shape. Moreover, the caliber of the vacuum nozzle is settled to be φ 7 mm in order to prevent complex adsorption.

[0043] Frozen sheath of green piece 1 on table 4 is vacuum adsorbed to adsorption nozzle 14 after the fall of adsorption head 13 driven by air cylinder 10, then pressure sensor 12 provided in each nozzle ensures adsorption to each nozzle by the time when adsorption head 13 moved up. Distinction of the stable adsorption is done when the internal-pressure of the vacuum nozzle reached to a constant degree of vacuum, and the information is taken in to a memory device.

[0044] Further, when vacuum adsorption was not considered to be sure, it is probable that a total adsorption number is less than the predetermined packing number N. Therefore, in order to prevent such trouble, the condition that the number of the vacuum nozzle might be at least equal to or more than 1.5 times N can reduce the generation probability of the trouble as much as possible. Then, optionally counting and selecting the necessary nozzles depending on the predetermined packing number N from among the nozzles that the stable adsorption were confirmed, and the information is also delivered to memory input.

[0045] In this example, on the assumption that the predetermined packing number N is 3, and that 1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th nozzle among the vacuum nozzle 1-6 stably adsorbs the objects, the selected nozzles are 1st, 2nd, and 4th nozzle depending on the order. After the arm slid driven by air cylinder 10, the dissociation of frozen sheath of green piece 1 from vacuum nozzle 14 is executed by breaking vacuum shifting in a short time negative pressure channel 9 to compressed air channel 18 driven by solenoid valve 8, regarding only the selected 1st, 2nd, and 4th nozzle, the objects are packed to belt conveyor 15 operating intermittently within constant interval driven by a stepping motor.

[0046] After packing, all the negative pressure channels shift back to compressed air channel 18 at the timing of the arm having returned to the initial position, the rest of the adsorbed objects are separated from the nozzles and come back to the initial state. Defining the above-described sequence as 1 cycle, the operation of counting and packing is repeated.

[0047] Under the condition that the predetermined packing number N of frozen sheath of green piece 1 was 3, and that the number of the vacuum nozzle N+α were 3,4,5,6 (α=0,1,2,3) respectively, abnormal stop rate were shown in Table 1. (The number of total adsorption <N) TABLE 1 Predetermined 3 3 3 3 packing number N [pieces] Number of the 3 4 5 6 nozzles N + α [pieces] Abnormal 35 15 1 0.5 stop rate [%]

[0048] As shown in Table 1, when counting and packing frozen sheath of green piece 1 was executed using the counting and packing apparatus for solid foods of this invention, the counting accuracy of 99% or more was ensured under the condition that the number of the vacuum nozzles was 5 or more for predetermined packing number 3.

[0049] As described above, according to the present invention, regarding the technology of counting and packing of solid foods having characteristics of uncertainly shaped, with irregular surface, with wet surface, being adhesive, soft, and easy to be broken, it becomes possible to speedily and precisely count and pack predetermined numbers of the solid foods within a settled time interval without requiring pre-positioning and sort transportation of the objects.

[0050] While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for counting and packing solid foods characterized that including the followings: on the assumption that N is a predetermined packing number of solid foods, N and α are the integers equal to or more than 1, arranging N+α pieces of the vacuum nozzle that is more than the predetermined packing number of solid foods, optionally counting and selecting plural numbers of the vacuum nozzles corresponding to the predetermined packing number N from among the vacuum nozzles that adsorption holding was ensured by output signal from the adsorption confirmation sensor, and after having conveyed the solid foods to a predetermined packing location, the predetermined packing number N of the solid foods are precisely counted and packed within 1 cycle by breaking vacuum of the selected vacuum nozzle.
 2. An apparatus for counting and packing solid foods characterized that comprising the followings: a table means for placing the solid foods which should be counted and packed, on the assumption that N is a predetermined packing number of solid foods, N and α are the integers equal to or more than 1, N+α pieces of the vacuum nozzle that is more than the predetermined packing number of solid foods, and including a flexible vacuum pad and an adsorption confirmation sensor, an arm holding these vacuum nozzles, being displaceable in horizontally right and left direction and in vertically up and down direction, and for adsorbing and conveying the solid foods from the table means to a packing means, a vacuum braking channel for dissociating adsorption by compressed air, and a control instrument and control sequence for breaking vacuum of a specified vacuum nozzle only.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein optionally counting and selecting numerical vacuum nozzle N pieces corresponding to the predetermined packing number N from among the nozzles that adsorption holding was ensured by output signal from adsorption confirmation sensor, and wherein said specified vacuum nozzle is the selected vacuum nozzle.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein α is at least a integer equal to or more than 1.5 times N, that is, α=0.5N.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said table means includes a rotation function or a vibration function.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said table means further comprises a freezing mechanism.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said adsorption confirmation sensor is a pressure sensor. 